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National News and Headlines From ABC News Radioen-us(c) 2012 ABC News RadioWhat's in store for this year's Atlantic hurricane seasonhttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/75df4d73d4eab31270447124c47b95c2
Thu, 24 May 2018 11:50:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/75df4d73d4eab31270447124c47b95c2iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- Scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on Thursday released their forecast for this year's Atlantic hurricane season, predicting a near-normal or above-normal season.

The forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher.

Of those named storms, the forecasters predict five to nine could become hurricanes, including one to four major ones.

Hurricanes have winds of 74 mph or higher, and major hurricanes are considered to be at least Category 3.

An average hurricane season brings 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes.

When is hurricane season?

Hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30. Peak hurricane season is from mid-August through mid-October, and the peak date for hurricane season on average is Sept. 10. Hurricanes, however, can occur year-round.

NOAA will update this year's outlook in early August, just before peak season.

How do hurricanes form?

A group of thunderstorms will feed off the warmth and moisture of the ocean. Air then rises to form more storms and is replaced constantly by the surrounding air.

Below all this air rising, low pressure develops.

The storm will keep growing as long as it has three key ingredients: water temperatures at or above 79 degrees, open water and high pressure above the storm.

The combination of high wind speeds inside the storm, the storm's forward motion and the storm surge can lead to a disastrous hurricane.

What are the hurricane categories?

Category 1: Winds from 74 to 95 mph, which can damage homes, trees and power lines.

Category 2: Winds reaching 96 to 110 mph. These extremely dangerous winds can uproot big trees, cause serious damage to homes and lead to power outages that last several days to weeks.

Category 3: With winds from 111 to 129 mph, Category 3 is considered a major hurricane. Devastating damage can occur, and electricity and water might be unavailable for several weeks.

Category 4: With winds from 130 to 156, Category 4 hurricanes bring catastrophic damage to homes, trees and power lines, and can make areas unlivable.

Category 5: This is the highest category for hurricanes, with winds reaching 157 mph or higher. These hurricanes cause catastrophic damage by completely destroying buildings and houses, and can make areas completely unlivable.

What happened last year?

Hurricane Harvey pummeled Houston in August, followed by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and Florida in September -- both of which left behind severe flooding that destroyed and damaged homes and businesses.

Before the Caribbean could recover from Irma, Hurricane Maria tore through just two weeks later, devastating Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm.

Puerto Rico still hasn't recovered from Maria. The storm caused massive power outages and destruction to homes, hospitals and water treatment plants.

The current death toll from Maria, according to the Puerto Rican government, is 64, but skepticism has lingered, with some Puerto Ricans and its officials believing the number is much higher.

As of Tuesday, 99 percent of energy customers had access to electricity in Puerto Rico, leaving roughly 14,500 customers still without power.

The forecasters predict a 70 percent likelihood of 10 to 16 named storms with winds of 39 mph or higher.

Of those named storms, the forecasters predict five to nine could become hurricanes, including one to four major ones.

Hurricanes have winds of 74 mph or higher, and major hurricanes are considered to be at least Category 3.

An average hurricane season brings 12 named storms, of which six become hurricanes.

When is hurricane season?

Hurricane season is from June 1 to Nov. 30. Peak hurricane season is from mid-August through mid-October, and the peak date for hurricane season on average is Sept. 10. Hurricanes, however, can occur year-round.

NOAA will update this year's outlook in early August, just before peak season.

How do hurricanes form?

A group of thunderstorms will feed off the warmth and moisture of the ocean. Air then rises to form more storms and is replaced constantly by the surrounding air.

Below all this air rising, low pressure develops.

The storm will keep growing as long as it has three key ingredients: water temperatures at or above 79 degrees, open water and high pressure above the storm.

The combination of high wind speeds inside the storm, the storm's forward motion and the storm surge can lead to a disastrous hurricane.

What are the hurricane categories?

Category 1: Winds from 74 to 95 mph, which can damage homes, trees and power lines.

Category 2: Winds reaching 96 to 110 mph. These extremely dangerous winds can uproot big trees, cause serious damage to homes and lead to power outages that last several days to weeks.

Category 3: With winds from 111 to 129 mph, Category 3 is considered a major hurricane. Devastating damage can occur, and electricity and water might be unavailable for several weeks.

Category 4: With winds from 130 to 156, Category 4 hurricanes bring catastrophic damage to homes, trees and power lines, and can make areas unlivable.

Category 5: This is the highest category for hurricanes, with winds reaching 157 mph or higher. These hurricanes cause catastrophic damage by completely destroying buildings and houses, and can make areas completely unlivable.

What happened last year?

Hurricane Harvey pummeled Houston in August, followed by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and Florida in September -- both of which left behind severe flooding that destroyed and damaged homes and businesses.

Before the Caribbean could recover from Irma, Hurricane Maria tore through just two weeks later, devastating Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm.

Puerto Rico still hasn't recovered from Maria. The storm caused massive power outages and destruction to homes, hospitals and water treatment plants.

The current death toll from Maria, according to the Puerto Rican government, is 64, but skepticism has lingered, with some Puerto Ricans and its officials believing the number is much higher.

As of Tuesday, 99 percent of energy customers had access to electricity in Puerto Rico, leaving roughly 14,500 customers still without power.

The MIT Police Department said in a statement that they were notified that a woman was raped last weekend at a fraternity party on campus.

The alleged incident took place early Saturday morning during a party at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity, according to a statement from MIT Police.

The incident was reported to campus police on Wednesday evening. According to the statement, authorities said the woman first met and spoke with the alleged suspect during the party, and that they went together to the suspect’s fraternity house bedroom.

In the bedroom, the woman said she “made clear that she did not want to have sex” and that the alleged suspect then raped her, according to the police statement, which said the woman reported having left the room immediately afterward.

Spokespersons for the local and national chapters of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment, nor did the university’s press office.

Authorities have not publicly provided a description of the alleged suspect.

]]>iStock/Thinkstock(CAMBRIDGE, Mass.) -- Authorities in Cambridge are investigating an alleged sexual assault on the campus of Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The MIT Police Department said in a statement that they were notified that a woman was raped last weekend at a fraternity party on campus.

The alleged incident took place early Saturday morning during a party at the Theta Delta Chi fraternity, according to a statement from MIT Police.

The incident was reported to campus police on Wednesday evening. According to the statement, authorities said the woman first met and spoke with the alleged suspect during the party, and that they went together to the suspect’s fraternity house bedroom.

In the bedroom, the woman said she “made clear that she did not want to have sex” and that the alleged suspect then raped her, according to the police statement, which said the woman reported having left the room immediately afterward.

Spokespersons for the local and national chapters of the Theta Delta Chi fraternity did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment, nor did the university’s press office.

Authorities have not publicly provided a description of the alleged suspect.

]]>Nearly a foot of rain brings flooding to Georgia; more headed to Southhttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/41a6da493e0e867e4a6bd7451b3e9cf1
Thu, 24 May 2018 11:31:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/41a6da493e0e867e4a6bd7451b3e9cf1ABC News(NEW YORK) -- Nearly a foot of rain has fallen in parts of west-central Georgia in the past three days, causing significant flooding.

Further west, 2 to 3 inches of rain fell in North Little Rock, Arkansas, on Wednesday, causing major flash flooding on streets, stalling cars and stranding drivers.

And more rain is on the way for the Southeast over the holiday weekend.

Friday night into Saturday, the system is expected to move into the Gulf of Mexico and possibly become the first tropical or subtropical depression of the season.

By Sunday afternoon, this depression or tropical storm will move toward the Gulf Coast with heavy rain on its eastern side spreading over Florida.

Yuanjun Cui and his wife, Huan Wang, were placed on a flight to Beijing Monday night after they were detained when their Carnival cruise docked in Jacksonville, Florida, that morning, the attorney representing the family, Susan Pai, said.

Cui is dying of stage 4 cancer, the couple's son-in-law, Joe McDevitt, told ABC News Tuesday. After Cui had his stomach removed and went through several rounds of chemotherapy, the McDevitts invited him and his wife to stay with them in the U.S. so they could get to know their young grandchildren, ages 3 and 4, McDevitt said.

The couple's B1/B2 visitor visa, commonly known as the "multi-visit visa," was issued to them in November and does not expire until November 2027, Pai said. Wang had been issued the visitor visa in the past and had been visiting the U.S. since 2009, "and has never had an issue," Pai said, adding that the U.S. embassy in Shenyang "goes through an extraordinary vetting process for Chinese nationals."

At some point during the trip back to China, which included a layover in New York City, the couple was allegedly handcuffed, Pai said. During the trip, the couple was allegedly not given any food or water and weren't permitted to use their cellphone until they arrived at the Beijing airport, she said.

A photo taken by Wang shows her husband lying on a pile of luggage at the Beijing airport, Pai said. The couple has been there for more than 24 hours, and Cui is at constant risk for dehydration if he doesn't eat and drink regularly since he doesn't have a stomach, McDevitt said.

Once the couple arrived in China, Wang was given her phone back, and she contacted her daughter, Pai said. They were sent back to China with no money or keys to their home, which is more than 400 miles away from the Beijing airport in Shenyang, Pai said.

The couple was eventually able to get money wired to them from family in China, McDevitt told ABC News today.

When Wang spoke to her daughter upon arriving in Beijing, she expressed that she was upset about being treated like a criminal and being placed into handcuffs, Pai said. McDevitt said his parents-in-law were "confused" and "exhausted" from the trip, which isn't even over yet.

In a swift turn of events, the couple will now return to the U.S. after the U.S. Border and Customs Protection authorized them to board a plane from Beijing back to the U.S., Pai said, calling the move an "extraordinary remedy" of humanitarian parole that is "only given under the most "egregious, dangerous situations."

The couple will board a plane to Seattle, where McDevitt's sister lives, on Wednesday night, he said. It was the fastest way to get them back to the U.S., Pai said.

McDevitt and his family, who live in the Ozarks region of Missouri, have been in Jacksonville since their cruise to the Bahamas docked on Monday, he said. They footed the bill for Cui and Wang's return flight back from China -- more than $1,000 -- but it's unclear how much it'll cost to get the family of four to Seattle to meet them there, he said.

Cui and Wang will then stay in the U.S. until June 19, their original departure date, Pai said. But the family is worried that Cui may not make it until then -- or even through the long flight back, she added.

McDevitt, a U.S. citizen and active-duty member of the Army National Guard, and his wife, Zhengjia McDevitt, obtained her citizenship through marriage, ABC Jacksonville affiliate WJXX reported.

Pai hypothesized that the recent green card applications filed by Wang and Cui were invalidated when they left the country on the cruise, according to WJXX. But their valid travel visas should have guaranteed the couple's return, she told the station.

In a letter sent to federal officials, Pai wrote that the couple did not voluntarily or knowingly withdraw their application for admission under their 10-year B1/B2 visas" and said they were forced to sign a paper with contents unknown to them because they only understand Chinese.

Despite the harrowing ordeal, Pai said that she and the family were "grateful" to CBP for granted the special permission, adding that no air carrier would have let the couple on without it.

"We are grateful for CBP," Pai said. "They can’t undo mistakes that have been made, but they did give their permission to the grandparents to board the plane."

The family has been "distraught" through the entire ordeal, Pai said. In addition to getting little sleep in the past three days, McDevitt is "emotionally exhausted," while his wife "has been crying nonstop," Pai said.

On Tuesday, McDevitt accused Carnival of knowing something was wrong before they boarded the cruise last week. Due to an "issue" with the family's paperwork, it took the family more than an hour to board the cruise, and during the trip, McDevitt was called up to the front desk four times so they could review their paperwork, he said.

"They should have never let us on the boat," McDevitt said. "I would have rather lost my money on a cruise than my family."

The family were the first passengers off the ship after they were marked as persons of interest, McDevitt said. They did not see his wife's parents again after they were separated and questioned, he said.

In a statement to ABC News, a Carnival cruise line spokesperson said there isn't a pre-clearance process during boarding, similar to in the airline industry.

A passport is not required for U.S. citizens but is required for foreign nationals when departing and returning from U.S. ports, the spokesperson said. The cruise line collects the information during boarding and turns over a passenger list to CBP prior to departure, and CBP may inquire about specific passengers and seek documentation during the course of the voyage without the cruise line necessarily knowing the reasons for their inquiry, the spokesperson said.

The cruise line does not know what the issue is when CBP inquires about specific passengers and their status, the Carnival spokesperson said, adding that it's up to each passenger to comply with U.S. immigration law.

The spokesperson said that while Carnival understands the family's frustration, laying the blame on the cruise line is misplaced.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement on Tuesday that the agency "welcomes more than a million passengers arriving in the United States every day," and that CBP officers are "charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws" but also enforcing more than 400 laws from 40 other agencies.

"Under U.S. immigration law [Section 291 of the INA [8 USC 1361] applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States," the statement read. "In order to demonstrate that they are admissible, the applicant must overcome ALL grounds of inadmissibility."

When ABC News reached out to the CBP on Wednesday, the spokesman declined to comment beyond the previous statement.

]]>ABC News(MIAMI) -- A man with stage 4 cancer who was detained after disembarking from a cruise and sent back to China will soon be traveling back to the U.S. due to special permission granted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the family's immigration attorney told ABC News.

Yuanjun Cui and his wife, Huan Wang, were placed on a flight to Beijing Monday night after they were detained when their Carnival cruise docked in Jacksonville, Florida, that morning, the attorney representing the family, Susan Pai, said.

Cui is dying of stage 4 cancer, the couple's son-in-law, Joe McDevitt, told ABC News Tuesday. After Cui had his stomach removed and went through several rounds of chemotherapy, the McDevitts invited him and his wife to stay with them in the U.S. so they could get to know their young grandchildren, ages 3 and 4, McDevitt said.

The couple's B1/B2 visitor visa, commonly known as the "multi-visit visa," was issued to them in November and does not expire until November 2027, Pai said. Wang had been issued the visitor visa in the past and had been visiting the U.S. since 2009, "and has never had an issue," Pai said, adding that the U.S. embassy in Shenyang "goes through an extraordinary vetting process for Chinese nationals."

At some point during the trip back to China, which included a layover in New York City, the couple was allegedly handcuffed, Pai said. During the trip, the couple was allegedly not given any food or water and weren't permitted to use their cellphone until they arrived at the Beijing airport, she said.

A photo taken by Wang shows her husband lying on a pile of luggage at the Beijing airport, Pai said. The couple has been there for more than 24 hours, and Cui is at constant risk for dehydration if he doesn't eat and drink regularly since he doesn't have a stomach, McDevitt said.

Once the couple arrived in China, Wang was given her phone back, and she contacted her daughter, Pai said. They were sent back to China with no money or keys to their home, which is more than 400 miles away from the Beijing airport in Shenyang, Pai said.

The couple was eventually able to get money wired to them from family in China, McDevitt told ABC News today.

When Wang spoke to her daughter upon arriving in Beijing, she expressed that she was upset about being treated like a criminal and being placed into handcuffs, Pai said. McDevitt said his parents-in-law were "confused" and "exhausted" from the trip, which isn't even over yet.

In a swift turn of events, the couple will now return to the U.S. after the U.S. Border and Customs Protection authorized them to board a plane from Beijing back to the U.S., Pai said, calling the move an "extraordinary remedy" of humanitarian parole that is "only given under the most "egregious, dangerous situations."

The couple will board a plane to Seattle, where McDevitt's sister lives, on Wednesday night, he said. It was the fastest way to get them back to the U.S., Pai said.

McDevitt and his family, who live in the Ozarks region of Missouri, have been in Jacksonville since their cruise to the Bahamas docked on Monday, he said. They footed the bill for Cui and Wang's return flight back from China -- more than $1,000 -- but it's unclear how much it'll cost to get the family of four to Seattle to meet them there, he said.

Cui and Wang will then stay in the U.S. until June 19, their original departure date, Pai said. But the family is worried that Cui may not make it until then -- or even through the long flight back, she added.

McDevitt, a U.S. citizen and active-duty member of the Army National Guard, and his wife, Zhengjia McDevitt, obtained her citizenship through marriage, ABC Jacksonville affiliate WJXX reported.

Pai hypothesized that the recent green card applications filed by Wang and Cui were invalidated when they left the country on the cruise, according to WJXX. But their valid travel visas should have guaranteed the couple's return, she told the station.

In a letter sent to federal officials, Pai wrote that the couple did not voluntarily or knowingly withdraw their application for admission under their 10-year B1/B2 visas" and said they were forced to sign a paper with contents unknown to them because they only understand Chinese.

Despite the harrowing ordeal, Pai said that she and the family were "grateful" to CBP for granted the special permission, adding that no air carrier would have let the couple on without it.

"We are grateful for CBP," Pai said. "They can’t undo mistakes that have been made, but they did give their permission to the grandparents to board the plane."

The family has been "distraught" through the entire ordeal, Pai said. In addition to getting little sleep in the past three days, McDevitt is "emotionally exhausted," while his wife "has been crying nonstop," Pai said.

On Tuesday, McDevitt accused Carnival of knowing something was wrong before they boarded the cruise last week. Due to an "issue" with the family's paperwork, it took the family more than an hour to board the cruise, and during the trip, McDevitt was called up to the front desk four times so they could review their paperwork, he said.

"They should have never let us on the boat," McDevitt said. "I would have rather lost my money on a cruise than my family."

The family were the first passengers off the ship after they were marked as persons of interest, McDevitt said. They did not see his wife's parents again after they were separated and questioned, he said.

In a statement to ABC News, a Carnival cruise line spokesperson said there isn't a pre-clearance process during boarding, similar to in the airline industry.

A passport is not required for U.S. citizens but is required for foreign nationals when departing and returning from U.S. ports, the spokesperson said. The cruise line collects the information during boarding and turns over a passenger list to CBP prior to departure, and CBP may inquire about specific passengers and seek documentation during the course of the voyage without the cruise line necessarily knowing the reasons for their inquiry, the spokesperson said.

The cruise line does not know what the issue is when CBP inquires about specific passengers and their status, the Carnival spokesperson said, adding that it's up to each passenger to comply with U.S. immigration law.

The spokesperson said that while Carnival understands the family's frustration, laying the blame on the cruise line is misplaced.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in a statement on Tuesday that the agency "welcomes more than a million passengers arriving in the United States every day," and that CBP officers are "charged with enforcing not only immigration and customs laws" but also enforcing more than 400 laws from 40 other agencies.

"Under U.S. immigration law [Section 291 of the INA [8 USC 1361] applicants for admission bear the burden of proof to establish that they are clearly eligible to enter the United States," the statement read. "In order to demonstrate that they are admissible, the applicant must overcome ALL grounds of inadmissibility."

When ABC News reached out to the CBP on Wednesday, the spokesman declined to comment beyond the previous statement.

The Tampa Police Department have arrested Cameron Coyle Herrin, 18, Tristan Christopher Herrin, 20, and John Alexander Barrineau, 17, in connection with the death of 24-year-old Jessica Reisinger, it announced today.

All three suspects are Tampa residents, according to police.

Ressinger, a resident of Jeromesville, Ohio, was walking with her 1-year-old daughter on Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard when they were struck, police said.

Witnesses told police that they saw a 2018 black Ford Mustang, allegedly driven by Cameron Herrin, traveling northbound on the boulevard at a high rate of speed while racing with a gold Nissan, allegedly driven by Barrineau, according to a press release. Tristan Herrin was allegedly a passenger in the Mustang, according to police.

The cars were sometimes driving side by side, and sometimes they switched places and switched lanes, witnesses told police.

The Mustang then struck Ressinger and her daughter as they were attempting to legally cross at a pedestrian ramp at an intersection, police said, adding that the baby girl was seriously injured.

Reisinger was later declared dead at a local hospital.

The drivers in the incident have been charged with street racing, vehicular homicide and reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, while Tristan Herrin faces a misdemeanor count of racing, police said.

Tristan Herrin is being charged under Florida Statute 316.191(2), which states that it is illegal for a driver to engage in racing and that it is also illegal to "knowingly ride as a passenger in any such race, competition, contest, test, or exhibition," according to police.

ABC News could not immediately reach the suspects for comment. It is unclear if they have obtained a lawyer or entered a plea.

The Tampa Police Department have arrested Cameron Coyle Herrin, 18, Tristan Christopher Herrin, 20, and John Alexander Barrineau, 17, in connection with the death of 24-year-old Jessica Reisinger, it announced today.

All three suspects are Tampa residents, according to police.

Ressinger, a resident of Jeromesville, Ohio, was walking with her 1-year-old daughter on Tampa's Bayshore Boulevard when they were struck, police said.

Witnesses told police that they saw a 2018 black Ford Mustang, allegedly driven by Cameron Herrin, traveling northbound on the boulevard at a high rate of speed while racing with a gold Nissan, allegedly driven by Barrineau, according to a press release. Tristan Herrin was allegedly a passenger in the Mustang, according to police.

The cars were sometimes driving side by side, and sometimes they switched places and switched lanes, witnesses told police.

The Mustang then struck Ressinger and her daughter as they were attempting to legally cross at a pedestrian ramp at an intersection, police said, adding that the baby girl was seriously injured.

Reisinger was later declared dead at a local hospital.

The drivers in the incident have been charged with street racing, vehicular homicide and reckless driving resulting in serious bodily injury, while Tristan Herrin faces a misdemeanor count of racing, police said.

Tristan Herrin is being charged under Florida Statute 316.191(2), which states that it is illegal for a driver to engage in racing and that it is also illegal to "knowingly ride as a passenger in any such race, competition, contest, test, or exhibition," according to police.

ABC News could not immediately reach the suspects for comment. It is unclear if they have obtained a lawyer or entered a plea.

Twenty children and six educators died in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at the Newtown, Connecticut, school.

“While the nation recoiled at the terrible reality of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Alex Jones saw an opportunity,” the families’ attorney Josh Koskoff said. “He went on a sustained attack that has lasted for years, accusing shattered family members of being actors, stating as fact that the shooting itself was a hoax and inciting others to act on these malicious lies.”

The plaintiffs are the parents of four children killed at Sandy Hook -- Jacqueline and Mark Barden, parents of Daniel; Nicole and Ian Hockley, parents of Dylan; Francine and David Wheeler, parents of Ben; and Jennifer Hensel and Jeremy Richman, parents of Avielle -- as well as Donna Soto, Carlee Soto-Parisi, Carlos Soto and Jillian Soto, the mother and siblings of first-grade teacher Victoria Leigh Soto; and Erica Lafferty-Garbatini, the daughter of Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung. FBI agent Bill Aldenberg is also a plaintiff.

“As a result of Jones’ campaign,” the families and Aldenberg said they have been “forced to endure malicious and cruel abuse at the hands of ruthless unscrupulous people.”

Their lawsuit also names Wolfgang Halbig, a Florida man who founded the now-defunct website SandyHookJustice, his associate Cory Sklanka and Infowars itself.

The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Bridgeport, cites Jones’ public assertions, including one from Sept. 25, 2014, in which he said video from the day of the shooting showed that the same children were cycled in and out of the school and that no emergency helicopters were sent to the school, and were “clearly staged.”

]]>Oli Scarff/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Six families of victims killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting, as well as an FBI agent who responded to the scene, filed a defamation lawsuit today against radio personality Alex Jones, who has repeatedly called the shooting fake.

Twenty children and six educators died in the Dec. 14, 2012, shooting at the Newtown, Connecticut, school.

“While the nation recoiled at the terrible reality of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, Alex Jones saw an opportunity,” the families’ attorney Josh Koskoff said. “He went on a sustained attack that has lasted for years, accusing shattered family members of being actors, stating as fact that the shooting itself was a hoax and inciting others to act on these malicious lies.”

The plaintiffs are the parents of four children killed at Sandy Hook -- Jacqueline and Mark Barden, parents of Daniel; Nicole and Ian Hockley, parents of Dylan; Francine and David Wheeler, parents of Ben; and Jennifer Hensel and Jeremy Richman, parents of Avielle -- as well as Donna Soto, Carlee Soto-Parisi, Carlos Soto and Jillian Soto, the mother and siblings of first-grade teacher Victoria Leigh Soto; and Erica Lafferty-Garbatini, the daughter of Sandy Hook Elementary School Principal Dawn Hochsprung. FBI agent Bill Aldenberg is also a plaintiff.

“As a result of Jones’ campaign,” the families and Aldenberg said they have been “forced to endure malicious and cruel abuse at the hands of ruthless unscrupulous people.”

Their lawsuit also names Wolfgang Halbig, a Florida man who founded the now-defunct website SandyHookJustice, his associate Cory Sklanka and Infowars itself.

The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court in Bridgeport, cites Jones’ public assertions, including one from Sept. 25, 2014, in which he said video from the day of the shooting showed that the same children were cycled in and out of the school and that no emergency helicopters were sent to the school, and were “clearly staged.”

The result has been a multi-day social media battle between Houston's top law enforcement official and a prominent and outspoken NRA personality. On Tuesday, the dispute escalated to include threats of legal filings, references to Nazi Germany and suggestions of inappropriate surveillance.

After last Friday's mass shooting at Santa He High School in Texas, which left ten people dead 13 wounded, Acevedo posted a desperate and emotional plea on his Facebook page to do something about gun violence.

“I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue," Acevedo wrote. "Please do not post anything about guns [not being] the problem and [that] there’s little we can do."

“This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction," he continued. "It’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction.”

He followed up the comments on CBS News' Face the Nation, calling on the public to vote out lawmakers "that are doing nothing" on gun violence.

NRATV, a combative video production and social media operation that frequently targets perceived opponents of the gun organization, soon released multiple videos of NRATV hosts and guests criticizing Acevedo over his statements on gun violence and his so-called "sanctuary city" stance.

“I call him a political hack, in many respects, because he does the bidding of left-wing city officers that hire him,” NRATV host Grant Stinchfield said in a clip the organization tweeted Monday. One Texas law enforcement officials, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, agreed in the clip, saying most law enforcement officers in Texas are “Second Amendment people.”

"Art Acevedo is a police chief who thinks it's completely appropriate to ignore the law of the land when it concerns legal immigration,” NRA spokesperson Dana Leosch said in a separate clip, “but thinks that he has the right to apparently go into every home in Texas and inspect how everybody's storing their #firearms."

Acevedo responded in a string of tweets late Monday night.

"NRATV is against what most major cities...police chiefs have to say about these issues," he wrote.

"NRATV is losing the moral high ground on what was once their core values, so let’s try to talk about anything and everything under the Sun to deflect from issue at hand," he replied to a tweet from Loesch. "We know we are on the right track when that happens."

When a third NRATV clip accused Acevedo of ignoring gang violence in Houston to go after gun owners, the police chief replied, "Blah blah blah," and linked to an article about his department's arrest of hundreds of gang members.

Acevedo "was incredibly unhappy that I and others called him out," Loesch said in a clip released on Twitter on Tuesday, accusing Acevedo of espousing a "gun-grabbing ideology."

Acevedo responded with screenshots of him turning down Loesch’s interview request, and warned further discussion would take place in a legal setting.

"We will be watching and will do our talking in a court of law if the need arises," he wrote.

Loesch retweeted a tweet from a conservative commentator comparing Acevedo to the Gestapo, and was still tweeting at the police chief into Wednesday afternoon.

"It’s surreal to see a chief reacting to free speech this way," she wrote, eventually questioning whether she was already under surveillance.

]]>Justin Sullivan/Getty Images(HOUSTON) -- The hard-charging publicity arm of the National Rifle Association is engaged in an increasingly vicious Twitter battle with Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo, as the firearms organization struggles to contain fallout from yet another mass shooting.

The result has been a multi-day social media battle between Houston's top law enforcement official and a prominent and outspoken NRA personality. On Tuesday, the dispute escalated to include threats of legal filings, references to Nazi Germany and suggestions of inappropriate surveillance.

After last Friday's mass shooting at Santa He High School in Texas, which left ten people dead 13 wounded, Acevedo posted a desperate and emotional plea on his Facebook page to do something about gun violence.

“I know some have strong feelings about gun rights but I want you to know I’ve hit rock bottom and I am not interested in your views as it pertains to this issue," Acevedo wrote. "Please do not post anything about guns [not being] the problem and [that] there’s little we can do."

“This isn’t a time for prayers, and study and inaction," he continued. "It’s a time for prayers, action and the asking of God’s forgiveness for our inaction.”

He followed up the comments on CBS News' Face the Nation, calling on the public to vote out lawmakers "that are doing nothing" on gun violence.

NRATV, a combative video production and social media operation that frequently targets perceived opponents of the gun organization, soon released multiple videos of NRATV hosts and guests criticizing Acevedo over his statements on gun violence and his so-called "sanctuary city" stance.

“I call him a political hack, in many respects, because he does the bidding of left-wing city officers that hire him,” NRATV host Grant Stinchfield said in a clip the organization tweeted Monday. One Texas law enforcement officials, Tarrant County Sheriff Bill Waybourn, agreed in the clip, saying most law enforcement officers in Texas are “Second Amendment people.”

"Art Acevedo is a police chief who thinks it's completely appropriate to ignore the law of the land when it concerns legal immigration,” NRA spokesperson Dana Leosch said in a separate clip, “but thinks that he has the right to apparently go into every home in Texas and inspect how everybody's storing their #firearms."

Acevedo responded in a string of tweets late Monday night.

"NRATV is against what most major cities...police chiefs have to say about these issues," he wrote.

"NRATV is losing the moral high ground on what was once their core values, so let’s try to talk about anything and everything under the Sun to deflect from issue at hand," he replied to a tweet from Loesch. "We know we are on the right track when that happens."

When a third NRATV clip accused Acevedo of ignoring gang violence in Houston to go after gun owners, the police chief replied, "Blah blah blah," and linked to an article about his department's arrest of hundreds of gang members.

Acevedo "was incredibly unhappy that I and others called him out," Loesch said in a clip released on Twitter on Tuesday, accusing Acevedo of espousing a "gun-grabbing ideology."

Acevedo responded with screenshots of him turning down Loesch’s interview request, and warned further discussion would take place in a legal setting.

"We will be watching and will do our talking in a court of law if the need arises," he wrote.

Loesch retweeted a tweet from a conservative commentator comparing Acevedo to the Gestapo, and was still tweeting at the police chief into Wednesday afternoon.

"It’s surreal to see a chief reacting to free speech this way," she wrote, eventually questioning whether she was already under surveillance.

]]>Hiker falls to his death from Yosemite National Park's famed Half Domehttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/91c749526b438686e5c54d95180ab4e8
Wed, 23 May 2018 12:24:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/91c749526b438686e5c54d95180ab4e8George Rose/Getty Images(MARIPOSA, Calif.) -- A hiker slipped and fell to his death Monday while climbing Yosemite National Park's famous Half Dome trail, officials said.

The man was ascending the Half Dome cables with another hiker during a thunderstorm when he slipped and fell off the rock formation Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Park Service. The metal cables take hikers up the last 400 feet of granite to the summit of Half Dome, which is nearly 5,000 feet above California's Yosemite Valley.

Park rangers were notified and found his body around 1 p.m. local time. The man's identity will be released after his family is notified, according to the National Park Service.

Park rangers also provided assistance to the second hiker on the Half Dome cables.

The National Park Service said in a statement Tuesday that the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

It's the first death on the Half Dome cables since 2011 and the first visitor fatality of this year.

]]>George Rose/Getty Images(MARIPOSA, Calif.) -- A hiker slipped and fell to his death Monday while climbing Yosemite National Park's famous Half Dome trail, officials said.

The man was ascending the Half Dome cables with another hiker during a thunderstorm when he slipped and fell off the rock formation Monday afternoon, according to the U.S. National Park Service. The metal cables take hikers up the last 400 feet of granite to the summit of Half Dome, which is nearly 5,000 feet above California's Yosemite Valley.

Park rangers were notified and found his body around 1 p.m. local time. The man's identity will be released after his family is notified, according to the National Park Service.

Park rangers also provided assistance to the second hiker on the Half Dome cables.

The National Park Service said in a statement Tuesday that the cause of the incident remains under investigation.

It's the first death on the Half Dome cables since 2011 and the first visitor fatality of this year.

]]>Air Force training jet crashes in Mississippi, but pilots eject safelyhttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/dcaa3573f970253a0eab342a7ebb2a07
Wed, 23 May 2018 12:09:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/dcaa3573f970253a0eab342a7ebb2a07ABC News(COLUMBUS, Miss.) -- An Air Force training jet crashed near Columbus, Mississippi Wednesday, but both pilots aboard were able to safely eject from the aircraft.

The crash occurred just days after the Air Force completed a one-day safety review that grounded aircraft so units could focus on safety procedures sparked by a series of recent fatal aviation accidents.

"An Air Force T-38C Talon II crashed at about 8:30 a.m. today in a remote area near Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi," said an Air Force statement. "Both pilots ejected from the aircraft safely."

The pilots were transported to a local hospital for evaluation. No houses or other structures were impacted by the crash of the aircraft.

The Talon T-38 is the Air Force's primary aircraft for training new pilots. Columbus Air Force Base is one of the bases used to train new Air Force pilots.

The crash occurred two days after all Air Force active-duty units with flying and maintenance functions completed an operational safety review to reinforce safety procedures.

Active-duty units had until May 21 to complete the one-day review, which was triggered after a series of fatal Air Force aviation accidents this year.

Air National Guard and Reserve units have until June 25 to complete the review.

The safety review came after the deadly crash in Georgia of a WC-130 aircraft, from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, that killed nine airmen.

That crash followed another deadly accident where a pilot from the elite Thunderbird air demonstration team last month after a F-16 crashed outside of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

In March, seven airmen died when an HH-60 Pave Hawk crashed into a power line in western Iraq.

The crash occurred just days after the Air Force completed a one-day safety review that grounded aircraft so units could focus on safety procedures sparked by a series of recent fatal aviation accidents.

"An Air Force T-38C Talon II crashed at about 8:30 a.m. today in a remote area near Columbus Air Force Base, Mississippi," said an Air Force statement. "Both pilots ejected from the aircraft safely."

The pilots were transported to a local hospital for evaluation. No houses or other structures were impacted by the crash of the aircraft.

The Talon T-38 is the Air Force's primary aircraft for training new pilots. Columbus Air Force Base is one of the bases used to train new Air Force pilots.

The crash occurred two days after all Air Force active-duty units with flying and maintenance functions completed an operational safety review to reinforce safety procedures.

Active-duty units had until May 21 to complete the one-day review, which was triggered after a series of fatal Air Force aviation accidents this year.

Air National Guard and Reserve units have until June 25 to complete the review.

The safety review came after the deadly crash in Georgia of a WC-130 aircraft, from the Puerto Rico Air National Guard, that killed nine airmen.

That crash followed another deadly accident where a pilot from the elite Thunderbird air demonstration team last month after a F-16 crashed outside of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada.

In March, seven airmen died when an HH-60 Pave Hawk crashed into a power line in western Iraq.

On Nov. 13, the man had requested assistance from the Rochester Police Department to aid in retrieving some of his belongings from the home of his ex-girlfriend, Catherine Bonner, her attorney, David Pilato, told ABC News. The man had told authorities that he lived at the home, which Bonner shares with her mother, Pilato said.

The day before, an incident occurred between the former couple that caused Bonner to accidentally break her foot, and she feared for her safety, Pilato said.

In the footage, which Pilato provided to ABC Rochester affiliate WHAM-TV, an officer instructs the man to "just go into the house" as he stands outside the front door.

The man then tells the officer that his former girlfriend has a gun. After the officer asks him if his ex is in the house, he says, "You have the right to kick the door in, if you want, to gain access," the video shows.

"You will not be held responsible, criminally, but ... you may have to pay the damage to break the door," the officer says.

The officer then tells the man that he has a "right to be here," suggests that the man break a pane of glass and stick his hand through to "unlock the door."

The man then shouts into the front door, "If you don't open the door, they gave me permission to break it."

Another officer off camera then says, "Ma'am, can you just open up the door, please?"

"You gotta open the door," the man says to his ex. "The cops are telling you to open the door."

The man then goes to a side window and breaks the pane of glass using his fist, and uses his shoe to clear out the rest of the glass. As he does this, the barrel of a gun becomes visible through the window's blinds.

All three men then scatter from the immediate vicinity of the window, and the man tells her, "Now, you're in trouble."

"I'm protecting my home," the woman is heard saying.

The officers then approach the window with their weapons drawn, instructing the woman to show them her hands, and the video then shows an officer kicking in the door to gain entry to the home.

Bonner was then arrested and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, menacing a police officer and a misdemeanor count of menacing her boyfriend, according to an indictment filed in Monroe County on Dec. 1.

The man had told the officer that he lived at the home for five months -- the amount of time they'd been dating -- and that Bonner had changed the locks, Pilato said. Had the officers checked the man's driver's license, they would have seen that his address was outside of the county, Pilato said. The two had a "typical" relationship, in which the man would stay at the home often, Pilato said.

Pilato said the man initially didn't want to break into the home but eventually gave in to the officer's instructions.

"For 12 minutes, they tell him over and over, 'You have a right to do this,'" Pilato said.

At one point, the man asked the officers to put together a report so he could just go to small claims court, Pilato said. A neighbor who confirmed to police on video that the man had lived at the home for more than 10 days later told the officers that she was concerned for Bonner's safety due to the incident that occurred the day before, Pilato said.

Bonner's ex-boyfriend, whom Pilato declined to identify, was not charged in the incident on Nov. 13 or the incident the day before in which Bonner broke her foot, the attorney said.

A spokeswoman for the Rochester Police Department declined to comment on the pending litigation, emphasizing that the police department did not release the bodycam video and pointing ABC News to a training bulletin that was posted by the department on March 8.

The bulletin states that "employees shall not use the powers of their office to render assistance in the pursuit of matters which are strictly private or civil in nature except in those matters where they are required by law to exercise their powers or where a breach of the peace has occurred or is imminent."

The training bulletin was posted after the department became aware of the incident, WHAM-TV reported.

Bonner appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge granted a motion to suppress the gun as evidence due to the unlawful search and involuntary search of Bonner's home, Pilato said. This eliminated the charge for criminal possession of a weapon and could also potentially eliminate the menacing charges because the gun is an element of those charges, Pilato said.

Bonner has maintained her innocence since the incident occurred and plans to plead not guilty when her trial begins in June. She contends that the gun was never pointed at the police officer, Pilato said.

It is unclear whether the Rochester police officer whom Bonner accused of menacing was disciplined for the incident, or whether he is still on the job, WHAM reported.

]]>Rochester Police Department(ROCHESTER, N.Y.) -- Police bodycam footage from upstate New York appears to show an officer instructing a man to break into his ex-girlfriend's home, according to the woman's lawyer.

On Nov. 13, the man had requested assistance from the Rochester Police Department to aid in retrieving some of his belongings from the home of his ex-girlfriend, Catherine Bonner, her attorney, David Pilato, told ABC News. The man had told authorities that he lived at the home, which Bonner shares with her mother, Pilato said.

The day before, an incident occurred between the former couple that caused Bonner to accidentally break her foot, and she feared for her safety, Pilato said.

In the footage, which Pilato provided to ABC Rochester affiliate WHAM-TV, an officer instructs the man to "just go into the house" as he stands outside the front door.

The man then tells the officer that his former girlfriend has a gun. After the officer asks him if his ex is in the house, he says, "You have the right to kick the door in, if you want, to gain access," the video shows.

"You will not be held responsible, criminally, but ... you may have to pay the damage to break the door," the officer says.

The officer then tells the man that he has a "right to be here," suggests that the man break a pane of glass and stick his hand through to "unlock the door."

The man then shouts into the front door, "If you don't open the door, they gave me permission to break it."

Another officer off camera then says, "Ma'am, can you just open up the door, please?"

"You gotta open the door," the man says to his ex. "The cops are telling you to open the door."

The man then goes to a side window and breaks the pane of glass using his fist, and uses his shoe to clear out the rest of the glass. As he does this, the barrel of a gun becomes visible through the window's blinds.

All three men then scatter from the immediate vicinity of the window, and the man tells her, "Now, you're in trouble."

"I'm protecting my home," the woman is heard saying.

The officers then approach the window with their weapons drawn, instructing the woman to show them her hands, and the video then shows an officer kicking in the door to gain entry to the home.

Bonner was then arrested and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, menacing a police officer and a misdemeanor count of menacing her boyfriend, according to an indictment filed in Monroe County on Dec. 1.

The man had told the officer that he lived at the home for five months -- the amount of time they'd been dating -- and that Bonner had changed the locks, Pilato said. Had the officers checked the man's driver's license, they would have seen that his address was outside of the county, Pilato said. The two had a "typical" relationship, in which the man would stay at the home often, Pilato said.

Pilato said the man initially didn't want to break into the home but eventually gave in to the officer's instructions.

"For 12 minutes, they tell him over and over, 'You have a right to do this,'" Pilato said.

At one point, the man asked the officers to put together a report so he could just go to small claims court, Pilato said. A neighbor who confirmed to police on video that the man had lived at the home for more than 10 days later told the officers that she was concerned for Bonner's safety due to the incident that occurred the day before, Pilato said.

Bonner's ex-boyfriend, whom Pilato declined to identify, was not charged in the incident on Nov. 13 or the incident the day before in which Bonner broke her foot, the attorney said.

A spokeswoman for the Rochester Police Department declined to comment on the pending litigation, emphasizing that the police department did not release the bodycam video and pointing ABC News to a training bulletin that was posted by the department on March 8.

The bulletin states that "employees shall not use the powers of their office to render assistance in the pursuit of matters which are strictly private or civil in nature except in those matters where they are required by law to exercise their powers or where a breach of the peace has occurred or is imminent."

The training bulletin was posted after the department became aware of the incident, WHAM-TV reported.

Bonner appeared in court Tuesday, where a judge granted a motion to suppress the gun as evidence due to the unlawful search and involuntary search of Bonner's home, Pilato said. This eliminated the charge for criminal possession of a weapon and could also potentially eliminate the menacing charges because the gun is an element of those charges, Pilato said.

Bonner has maintained her innocence since the incident occurred and plans to plead not guilty when her trial begins in June. She contends that the gun was never pointed at the police officer, Pilato said.

It is unclear whether the Rochester police officer whom Bonner accused of menacing was disciplined for the incident, or whether he is still on the job, WHAM reported.

]]>Volunteers help dog make 2,000-mile trek back homehttp://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/5ae5897913d88f469f3ca5dd50b46e78
Wed, 23 May 2018 09:04:00 -0500http://stillwaterradio.net/abc-national-news/5ae5897913d88f469f3ca5dd50b46e78Darrah Bull Bully Rescue(PHOENIX) -- One lucky dog who wound up on the other side of the country was returned to his rightful home thanks to a group of 20 volunteers.

Jake, a 7-year-old Coonhound, first went missing from his home in Phoenix, Arizona, last year. In April Jake was found wandering the streets of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, by Adam Herbaugh, who was out walking his own two dogs. Herbaugh took Jake to Companion Animal Hospital where the veterinarian scanned for a microchip and called the registered owners more than 2,000 miles away. Jake appeared to be in good health when the vet examined him and it is unclear how the dog got from Arizona to Pennsylvania.

The dog's owner, who asked to remain anonymous, was shocked and delighted to receive the good news, but could not make the cross-country trip to bring Jake home. So a local dog rescue group decided to help.

Ranae Metz, president of A Darrah Bull Bully Rescue, told ABC News that the owners reached out via Facebook to explain the situation, asking for assistance in getting the hound home safe and sound.

The group wrote posts on Facebook and requested "qualified volunteers" who could each tackle a different leg of the journey from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Once the eager volunteers were in place, the three-day trip kicked off on May 18 and ended on May 21.

"Transports are generally done on Saturdays or Sundays when volunteers are more readily available," Metz explained, adding that his team facilitates moves of animals from high-kill shelters up and down the East Coast on a weekly basis.

The entire transport took 20 volunteers, 30 stops in nine states and three volunteers who were willing to keep Jake overnight during the trip, according to Metz.

Jake, a 7-year-old Coonhound, first went missing from his home in Phoenix, Arizona, last year. In April Jake was found wandering the streets of Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania, by Adam Herbaugh, who was out walking his own two dogs. Herbaugh took Jake to Companion Animal Hospital where the veterinarian scanned for a microchip and called the registered owners more than 2,000 miles away. Jake appeared to be in good health when the vet examined him and it is unclear how the dog got from Arizona to Pennsylvania.

The dog's owner, who asked to remain anonymous, was shocked and delighted to receive the good news, but could not make the cross-country trip to bring Jake home. So a local dog rescue group decided to help.

Ranae Metz, president of A Darrah Bull Bully Rescue, told ABC News that the owners reached out via Facebook to explain the situation, asking for assistance in getting the hound home safe and sound.

The group wrote posts on Facebook and requested "qualified volunteers" who could each tackle a different leg of the journey from Pennsylvania to Arizona. Once the eager volunteers were in place, the three-day trip kicked off on May 18 and ended on May 21.

"Transports are generally done on Saturdays or Sundays when volunteers are more readily available," Metz explained, adding that his team facilitates moves of animals from high-kill shelters up and down the East Coast on a weekly basis.

The entire transport took 20 volunteers, 30 stops in nine states and three volunteers who were willing to keep Jake overnight during the trip, according to Metz.

The letter, obtained by ABC Los Angeles station KABC on Tuesday, said USC President C.L. Max Nikias should step down because he mishandled complaints against a former campus gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall.

Two-hundred faculty members across 14 USC schools had signed the letter as of Tuesday evening, claiming Nikias lacked the "moral authority" to lead the university's investigation into the matter, according to KABC.

"President Nikias' actions and omissions amount to a breach of trust," the letter said. "He has lost all moral authority to lead the university, and in addition, to lead the investigation of institutional failures that allowed this misconduct to persist over several decades."

The letter came in the wake of lawsuits filed against the school and Tyndall by current and former students who've accused the doctor of molesting patients for several decades. At least six women have sued the university alleging misconduct.

One civil lawsuit claimed USC ignored complaints that Tyndall allegedly made crude remarks, took inappropriate photographs and groped patients to "satisfy his own prurient desires."

Tyndall, who worked at a USC student health clinic for 30 years, denied wrongdoing in interviews with the Los Angeles Times.

USC Board of trustees Chairman John Mork said the university's executive committee planned to support Nikias.

"We strongly support President Nikias’ implementation of a thorough and comprehensive action plan that addresses these issues and enables USC to continue exemplifying our Trojan Family values as we move forward," Mork said in a statement Tuesday. "We have zero tolerance for this conduct and will ensure that people are held accountable for actions that threaten the university student body and that do not reflect our culture of respect, care, and ethic."

Nikias also issued a lengthy statement on the school's website laying out its action plan at the board’s request.

The letter, obtained by ABC Los Angeles station KABC on Tuesday, said USC President C.L. Max Nikias should step down because he mishandled complaints against a former campus gynecologist, Dr. George Tyndall.

Two-hundred faculty members across 14 USC schools had signed the letter as of Tuesday evening, claiming Nikias lacked the "moral authority" to lead the university's investigation into the matter, according to KABC.

"President Nikias' actions and omissions amount to a breach of trust," the letter said. "He has lost all moral authority to lead the university, and in addition, to lead the investigation of institutional failures that allowed this misconduct to persist over several decades."

The letter came in the wake of lawsuits filed against the school and Tyndall by current and former students who've accused the doctor of molesting patients for several decades. At least six women have sued the university alleging misconduct.

One civil lawsuit claimed USC ignored complaints that Tyndall allegedly made crude remarks, took inappropriate photographs and groped patients to "satisfy his own prurient desires."

Tyndall, who worked at a USC student health clinic for 30 years, denied wrongdoing in interviews with the Los Angeles Times.

USC Board of trustees Chairman John Mork said the university's executive committee planned to support Nikias.

"We strongly support President Nikias’ implementation of a thorough and comprehensive action plan that addresses these issues and enables USC to continue exemplifying our Trojan Family values as we move forward," Mork said in a statement Tuesday. "We have zero tolerance for this conduct and will ensure that people are held accountable for actions that threaten the university student body and that do not reflect our culture of respect, care, and ethic."

Nikias also issued a lengthy statement on the school's website laying out its action plan at the board’s request.

Her path to making history wasn't an easy one, but her love of science helped fuel her success.

As a young girl in Chicago, she knew two things for sure: that she wanted to be an astronaut and that there were no black female astronauts.

"I grew up in the 1960s, and the United States didn’t have women astronauts," Jemison told ABC News. "There were no women of color in the astronaut program."

She remembers looking up at the stars in wonder, which pushed her unwavering interest in science.

She also said she remembers feeling privileged to have teachers and family members who believed in her dreams.

As the youngest child, her days were filled by spending time in libraries studying science and astronomy.

"I was lucky enough to have teachers who taught me about Daniel Hale Williams and that Elijah McCoy built the cotton gin -- a black person -- I remember reading in books about the woman who did the original work on DNA, crystallography," she said.

She would carry her childhood dream of being an astronaut with her as she pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's from Stanford University in 1977 and a doctorate in medicine from Cornell University in 1981.

After serving as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, she made the decision to apply for the opportunity she'd always dreamed of: a spot in the astronaut program.

Not much had changed in regards to the program's diversity. There were still no black woman.

In 1987, Jemison was one of 15 selected for the prestigious NASA program. And the first black woman chosen, five years later, became the first to reach outer space.

Jemison encountered resistance and obstacles along the way but said she always remained true to her dreams and remained confident

Her advice to younger girls today? Don't be fazed by those who try to limit your dreams.

"People can put obstacles in front of you, and you have a choice," she said. "You can sit there and try to make them change or you can go around it."

After leaving the astronaut corps in 1993, she used her dynamic background and experience as an engineer, physician and astronaut to help educate, inspire and reach back into the community. Jemison is now collaborating with Bayer Crop Science on "Science Matters," a campaign aimed at encouraging kids of different ages and backgrounds to learn about agricultural science.

There have been significant challenges in bringing STEM education to underserved communities and communities of color, Jemison said.

"The obstacles to achievements are usually not the kids -- it's the parents, it's the adults, it's the society around them,” she added.

Jemison said she believes it's important for others to know minorities have always been woven into the fabric of the science community, even if their accomplishments aren’t widely noted, adding that exposure, expectation and experience are key to changing the narrative.

"We have been in science all along, even when people didn't want us involved," she said. "I want folks to understand that they have the right to be involved. They don't have to ask."

Her path to making history wasn't an easy one, but her love of science helped fuel her success.

As a young girl in Chicago, she knew two things for sure: that she wanted to be an astronaut and that there were no black female astronauts.

"I grew up in the 1960s, and the United States didn’t have women astronauts," Jemison told ABC News. "There were no women of color in the astronaut program."

She remembers looking up at the stars in wonder, which pushed her unwavering interest in science.

She also said she remembers feeling privileged to have teachers and family members who believed in her dreams.

As the youngest child, her days were filled by spending time in libraries studying science and astronomy.

"I was lucky enough to have teachers who taught me about Daniel Hale Williams and that Elijah McCoy built the cotton gin -- a black person -- I remember reading in books about the woman who did the original work on DNA, crystallography," she said.

She would carry her childhood dream of being an astronaut with her as she pursued higher education, earning a bachelor's from Stanford University in 1977 and a doctorate in medicine from Cornell University in 1981.

After serving as a Peace Corps medical officer in Sierra Leone and Liberia, she made the decision to apply for the opportunity she'd always dreamed of: a spot in the astronaut program.

Not much had changed in regards to the program's diversity. There were still no black woman.

In 1987, Jemison was one of 15 selected for the prestigious NASA program. And the first black woman chosen, five years later, became the first to reach outer space.

Jemison encountered resistance and obstacles along the way but said she always remained true to her dreams and remained confident

Her advice to younger girls today? Don't be fazed by those who try to limit your dreams.

"People can put obstacles in front of you, and you have a choice," she said. "You can sit there and try to make them change or you can go around it."

After leaving the astronaut corps in 1993, she used her dynamic background and experience as an engineer, physician and astronaut to help educate, inspire and reach back into the community. Jemison is now collaborating with Bayer Crop Science on "Science Matters," a campaign aimed at encouraging kids of different ages and backgrounds to learn about agricultural science.

There have been significant challenges in bringing STEM education to underserved communities and communities of color, Jemison said.

"The obstacles to achievements are usually not the kids -- it's the parents, it's the adults, it's the society around them,” she added.

Jemison said she believes it's important for others to know minorities have always been woven into the fabric of the science community, even if their accomplishments aren’t widely noted, adding that exposure, expectation and experience are key to changing the narrative.

"We have been in science all along, even when people didn't want us involved," she said. "I want folks to understand that they have the right to be involved. They don't have to ask."

Hawaii Electric Light officials also confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that even if lava destroyed the power plant, there's no danger of a blackout because it was taken offline after Kilauea began erupting on May 3.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Tom Travis said "the well field is as safe as we can get the well field."

"The probability of anything happening if the lava enters the well field is very, very low," he added. The public "should feel pretty comfortable that there should be no untoward events from Puna Geothermal Venture. Assuming that the lava doesn't change its pattern or its flow. Each time it changes we have to re-evaluate and look at other issues."

Hawaii Electric Light officials also confirmed to ABC News on Wednesday that even if lava destroyed the power plant, there's no danger of a blackout because it was taken offline after Kilauea began erupting on May 3.

Hawaii Emergency Management Agency Administrator Tom Travis said "the well field is as safe as we can get the well field."

"The probability of anything happening if the lava enters the well field is very, very low," he added. The public "should feel pretty comfortable that there should be no untoward events from Puna Geothermal Venture. Assuming that the lava doesn't change its pattern or its flow. Each time it changes we have to re-evaluate and look at other issues."

Michael Rotondo, of Camillus, New York, had been living rent-free in his parents' Syracuse-area home for eight years when a State Supreme Court judge ruled on Tuesday in his parents’ favor, ordering him to move out.

Rotondo, who plans to appeal the decision, said he stopped speaking to his parents when they "alluded" to wanting him to leave the house in October, just one month after he lost custody and visitation rights of his son.

"I'm not bothering them by living here," Michael Rotondo said in an interview with ABC News' "Good Morning America." "It's little to no cost to them, and considering how that they've harassed me, I think it's the least that they should be required to do, which is just let me hang here a bit longer and use their hot water and electricity."

By the end of October, Michael Rotondo said his parents were demanding he get a full-time job, health insurance and sessions with a therapist, but he said he "didn't need any of those things."

"My parents alluded to the fact that they no longer wanted me living in the house, and I was devastated from the loss, and not seeing my son anymore," Rotondo said. "After that, I was like, 'I’m done with you guys.'"

Mark and Christina Rotondo said they gave their son multiple notices to vacate and even offered him money to help him find a place of his own.

Michael Rotondo admitted that he accepted the money, but used it for "other things."

"I took it but with consideration for my plans, and how my finances interacted with those plans, I did use the money for other things, but I don’t regret that," he said. "I would have preferred to have kept the money and given it back to them ... but I had to use it, and that's just how it is."

He also accused his parents of trying to "stir something up" to support their court case against him.

"Me and my father recently tried to occupy the same space at the same time ... so I said 'excuse me,' and he said, 'I will not excuse you, Michael,’” he said "He's just trying to stir something up so that he could get me to say something. It's my overwhelming belief that he’s trying to make it so that he could try and call the police or something to support his case."

Michael Rotondo had asked for six months to vacate, but the judge disagreed.

He said he was shocked by the ruling and that he couldn't believe the judge would "make it so that these people can just throw me out instead of letting me stay here."

Michael Rotondo also addressed critics, including some in his own neighborhood, who claim he wants to live rent-free forever.

"I don't like living here at all," he said. "My parents and myself are like two parties that don’t speak the same language."

"It's a very serious thing to me to get out, but I have rights, and that's really what it boils down to. I just want a little more time to get out of here."

Michael Rotondo, of Camillus, New York, had been living rent-free in his parents' Syracuse-area home for eight years when a State Supreme Court judge ruled on Tuesday in his parents’ favor, ordering him to move out.

Rotondo, who plans to appeal the decision, said he stopped speaking to his parents when they "alluded" to wanting him to leave the house in October, just one month after he lost custody and visitation rights of his son.

"I'm not bothering them by living here," Michael Rotondo said in an interview with ABC News' "Good Morning America." "It's little to no cost to them, and considering how that they've harassed me, I think it's the least that they should be required to do, which is just let me hang here a bit longer and use their hot water and electricity."

By the end of October, Michael Rotondo said his parents were demanding he get a full-time job, health insurance and sessions with a therapist, but he said he "didn't need any of those things."

"My parents alluded to the fact that they no longer wanted me living in the house, and I was devastated from the loss, and not seeing my son anymore," Rotondo said. "After that, I was like, 'I’m done with you guys.'"

Mark and Christina Rotondo said they gave their son multiple notices to vacate and even offered him money to help him find a place of his own.

Michael Rotondo admitted that he accepted the money, but used it for "other things."

"I took it but with consideration for my plans, and how my finances interacted with those plans, I did use the money for other things, but I don’t regret that," he said. "I would have preferred to have kept the money and given it back to them ... but I had to use it, and that's just how it is."

He also accused his parents of trying to "stir something up" to support their court case against him.

"Me and my father recently tried to occupy the same space at the same time ... so I said 'excuse me,' and he said, 'I will not excuse you, Michael,’” he said "He's just trying to stir something up so that he could get me to say something. It's my overwhelming belief that he’s trying to make it so that he could try and call the police or something to support his case."

Michael Rotondo had asked for six months to vacate, but the judge disagreed.

He said he was shocked by the ruling and that he couldn't believe the judge would "make it so that these people can just throw me out instead of letting me stay here."

Michael Rotondo also addressed critics, including some in his own neighborhood, who claim he wants to live rent-free forever.

"I don't like living here at all," he said. "My parents and myself are like two parties that don’t speak the same language."

"It's a very serious thing to me to get out, but I have rights, and that's really what it boils down to. I just want a little more time to get out of here."